King Henry VII of England (1457-1509) [Henry of Lancaster; Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond] Search KING HENRY VII, of England, was the first of the Tudor dynasty. His claim to the throne was through his mother, Margaret Beaufort , from John of Gaunt and Catherine Swynford, whose issue born before their marriage had been legitimated by parliament. This, of course, was only Lancastrian claim, never valid, even as such, till the direct male line of John of Gaunt had become extinct. By his father, Edmund of Hadham , the genealogists traced his pedigree to Cadwallader, but this only endeared him to the Welsh when he had actually become king. His grandfather, Owen Tudor , however, had married Catherine , the widow of Henry V and daughter to Charles VI of France. Their son Edmund , being half brother of Henry VI , was created by that King Earl of Richmond, and having married Margaret Beaufort , only daughter of John, Duke of Somerset , died more than two months before their only child, Henry, was born in Pembroke Castle in January 1457. The fatherless child had sore trials.

Edward IV won the crown when Henry was four years old, and while Wales partly held out against the conqueror, he was carried for safety from one castle to another. Then for a time he was made a prisoner; but ultimately he was taken abroad by his uncle Jasper Tudor , who found refuge in Brittany. At one time the duke of Brittany was nearly induced to surrender him to Edward IV; but he remained safe in the duchy till the cruelties of Richard III drove more and more Englishmen abroad to join him. An invasion of England was planned in 1483 in concert with the Duke of Buckingham 's rising; but stormy weather at sea and an inundation in the Severn defeated the two movements. A second expedition, two years later, aided this time by France, was more successful. Henry landed at Milford Haven among his Welsh allies and defeated Richard at the battle of Bosworth (August 22, 1485). He was crowned at Westminster on the 30th of October following.

Then, in fulfilment of pledges by which he had procured the adhesion of many Yorkist supporters, he was married at Westminster to Elizabeth (1465-1503), eldest daughter and heiress of Edward IV (Jan. 18, 1486), whose two brothers had both been murdered by Richard III. Thus the Red and White Roses were united and the pretexts for civil war done away with. Nevertheless, Henry's reign was much disturbed by a succession of Yorkist conspiracies and pretenders. Of the two most notable impostors, the first, Lambert Simnel , personated the Earl of Warwick, son of the Duke of Clarence , a youth of seventeen whom Henry had at his accession taken care to imprison in the Tower. Simnel, who was but a boy, was taken over to Ireland to perform his part, and the farce was wonderfully successful. He was crowned as Edward VI in Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin, and received the allegiance of every one — bishops, nobles and judges, alike with others.

From Ireland, accompanied by some bands of German mercenaries procured for him in the Low Countries, he invaded England; but the rising was put down at Stoke near Newark in Nottinghamshire, and, Simnel being captured, the king made him a menial of his kitchen. This movement had been greatly assisted by Margaret, duchess dowager, of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV, who could not endure to see the House of York supplanted by that of Tudor. The second pretender, Perkin Warbeck , was also much indebted to her support; but he seems to have entered on his career at first without it. And his story, which was more prolonged, had to do with the attitude of many countries towards England. Anxious as Henry was to avoid being involved in foreign wars, it was not many years before he was committed to a war with France, partly by his desire of an alliance with Spain, and partly by the indignation of his own subjects at the way in which the French were undermining the independence of Brittany.

Henry gave Brittany defensive aid; but after the duchess Anne had married Charles VIII of France, he felt bound to fulfil his obligations to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and also to the German king Maximilian , by an invasion of France in 1492. His allies, however, were not equally scrupulous or equally able to fulfil their obligations to him; and after besieging Boulogne for some little time, he received very advantageous offers from the French king and made peace with him. Now Perkin Warbeck had first appeared in Ireland in 1491, and had somehow been persuaded there to personate Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the two princes murdered in the Tower, pretending that he had escaped, though his brother had been killed. Charles VIII, then expecting war with England, called him to France, recognized his pretensions and gave him a retinue; but after the peace he dismissed him. Then Margaret of Burgundy received him as her nephew, and Maximilian , now estranged from Henry, recognized him as king of England.

With a fleet given him by Maximilian he attempted to land at Deal, but sailed away to Ireland and, not succeeding very well there either, sailed farther to Scotland, where James IV received him with open arms, married him to an earl's daughter and made a brief and futile invasion of England along with him. But in 1497 he thought best to dismiss him, and Perkin, after attempting something again in Ireland, landed in Cornwall with a small body of men. Already Cornwall had risen in insurrection that year, not liking the taxation imposed for the purpose of repelling the Scotch invasion. A host of the country people, led first by a blacksmith, but afterwards by a nobleman, marched up towards London and were only defeated at Blackheath . But the Cornishmen were quite ready for another revolt, and indeed had invited Perkin to their shores. He had little fight in him, however, and after a futile siege of Exeter and an advance to Taunton he stole away and took sanctuary at Beaulieu in Hampshire.

But, being assured of his life, he surrendered, was brought to London, and was only executed two years later, when, being imprisoned near the Earl of Warwick in the Tower, he inveigled that simple-minded youth into a project of escape. For this Warwick, too, was tried, condemned and executed — no doubt to deliver Henry from repeated conspiracies in his favour. Henry had by this time several children, of whom the eldest, Arthur , had been proposed in infancy for a bridegroom to Catherine , daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon . The match had always been kept in view, but its completion depended greatly on the assurance Ferdinand and Isabella could feel of Henry's secure position upon the throne. At last Catherine was brought to England and was married to Prince Arthur at St Paul's on the 14th of November 1501. The lad was just over fifteen and the co-habitation of the couple was wisely delayed; but he died on the 2nd of April following. Another match was presently proposed for Catherine with the king's second son, Henry , which only took effect when the latter had become king himself [cf. Henry VIII ].

Meanwhile Henry's eldest daughter Margaret was married to James IV of Scotland — a match distinctly intended to promote international peace, and make possible that ultimate union which actually resulted from it. The espousals had taken place at Richmond in 1502, and the marriage was celebrated in Scotland the year after. In the interval between these two events Henry lost his queen, who died on the 11th of February 1503, and during the remainder of his reign he made proposals in various quarters for a second marriage — proposals in which political objects were always the chief consideration; but none of them led to any result. In his latter years he became unpopular from the extortions practised by his two instruments, Empson and Dudley, under the authority of antiquated statutes. From the beginning of his reign he had been accumulating money, mainly for his own security against intrigues and conspiracies, and avarice had grown upon him with success. He died in April 1509, undoubtedly the richest prince in Christendom. He was not a niggard, however, in his expenditure. Before his death he had finished the hospital of the Savoy and made provision for the magnificent chapel at Westminster which bears his name.

His money-getting was but part of his statesmanship, and for his statesmanship his country owes him not a little gratitude. He not only terminated a disastrous civil war and brought under control the spirit of ancient feudalism, but with a clear survey of the conditions of foreign powers he secured England in almost uninterrupted peace while he developed her commerce, strengthened her slender navy and built, apparently for the first time, a naval dock at Portsmouth. King Henry VII: Facts About the First Tudor Monarch | Primary Facts King Henry VII: Facts About the First Tudor Monarch Posted on Henry VII Fact File Born: 28th January 1457. His father was Edmund Tudor and his mother was Lady Margaret Beaufort. Died: 21st April 1509. Henry died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace . He is buried in Westminster Abbey . Reign: 1485 to 1509. Children: Four of Henry VII’s children survived beyond infancy. They were: Arthur Tudor, Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII and Mary Tudor. How Did Henry Tudor Become King of England?

Henry’s mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was one of the great-granddaughters of John of Gaunt, the third son of Edward III. This gave Henry Tudor a claim to the English throne, but quite a poor one. Others alive in the 1480s could demonstrate a stronger claim, but Henry made all of this somewhat irrelevant when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The Battle of Bosworth Field On 22nd August 1485 the Wars of the Roses (a conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster) was effectively brought to a close on a battlefield by the small town of Market Bosworth. The Yorkist army, led by King Richard III, was defeated by the Lancastrian forces, led by Henry Tudor. Richard III was killed in the battle, and Henry Tudor was crowned as King Henry VII. Click here to find out more about the Battle of Bosworth Field. How Did Henry Make His Reign More Secure? Because he had quite a weak claim to the throne, Henry VII quickly set about making it more secure. He did several things to achieve this: Henry VII married Elizabeth of York – uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster.

This is symbolised by the red and white Tudor Rose. Henry declared that his reign started the day before the Battle of Bosworth Field. This meant that anyone who fought against Henry in the battle could be found guilty of treason. A useful threat to have up your sleeve! Henry overcame several rebellions during his reign, defeating those who tried to claim that they had a claim to the throne. Other Facts About Henry VII Despite winning his throne in battle, King Henry VII was not a military man. His policy was to keep the peace and build up the wealth of England. He used marriages to strengthen the relationship between England and other European kingdoms. His eldest son, Arthur, married Catherine of Aragon from Spain. His daughter, Margaret, was married to King James IV of Scotland. Arthur Tudor (Henry VII’s eldest son) died suddenly in 1502. This meant that Henry – the King’s second eldest son – was now next in line. Henry VII died on 21st April 1509, and he was succeeded by Henry VIII , his second son. Click here to find out more about the Tudors.

About Henry VII TUDOR (King of England) The Bridgeman Art Library This shrewdness in establishing himself so securely from the outset, and his subsequent policies, must surely have been the result of Henry's forethought in the years of his exile. He had not fought for the throne without planning how he would hold onto it, though he lacked any experience in kingship. All Henry's work in the years of his reign had the underlying factor of his determination to make his position, and that of his heirs, secure. At home he built up a strong government, based on financial solvency and popular support; abroad, he sought recognition of his position from his fellow-monarchs and a prestige among them which would impress his own subjects. His use of Parliament is a case in point. The days had not yet come when there would be a national outcry if Parliament did not meet regularly to have its say in government; at the end of the 15th century the summoning of a Parliament would be more likely to elicit national groans that the King wanted his subjects to grant him taxes.

Members' bills were certainly presented, debated, and enacted, but the Commons knew that this was a concession dependent on their first granting the King his demands. Henry did indeed need taxation, but he also made use of Parliament to bring in his own bills, measures which reinforced his position mainly through establishing and extending the powers of his executive. At the same time he made sure that no charges of over-taxing his people could be brought against him--a sure way to encourage rebellion. In the first 12 years of his reign, he called only six Parliaments: by the end of that period he had laid a solid financial foundation of government and enacted the main body of his legislation. In the second 12 years he called only one Parliament. So well did the King use his sources of revenue, making the most of every asset, that he had no need to trouble the Lords and Commons. It was in the financial sphere that Henry's genius was most apparent.

This is not to say that he was an innovator; the Yorkist kings had shown themselves adept at financial administration, but Henry VII so refined their procedures of revenue collection and the apportioning of money to government needs that, by his personal supervision, he made the Crown solvent for the first time in many years and, at his death, left an immense reserve to his heir. Apart from the taxes voted by Parliament, Henry induced the Commons to enact the return to the Crown of most of the royal lands which had been alienated since 1455; by the ingenious device of having Parliament declare that he had been King on the day before Bosworth , he turned into traitors all those who had fought against him--and was thus able to claim their estates as forfeit for treason. By this extension of Crown lands, and by their efficient administration, Henry increased their value, by the end of his reign, to some _35,000 per annum.

Added to this, Henry had persuaded his first Parliament to grant him customs revenue for the whole of his life -by encouraging trade through international diplomacy, he increased customs yield; by farming out his dues he ensured maximum efficiency of collection and ensured the highest feasible income; he was receiving almost _ 40,000 per annum by the end of his reign. Through improving the efficiency of his courts, the King could also rely on an income from "the profits of justice," i.e. from fines. And of course he had the ago-old "feudal dues" of medieval kingship, from the nobility, though it was only in the second half of the reign that he came to rely on the unscrupulous ingenuity of Morton , Empson , and Dudley, his hated collectors, for the increased fruits of his traditional revenue. Henry VII along with Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley The Duke of Rutland Though the King recurrently had to resort to Parliament to pay for his wars, this was considered a reasonable expense (except by the Cornishmen who revolted at being made to pay for war far away on the Scottish borders).

However, he never thought it necessary to reimburse his people with the money which remained to him when he made peace--and he liked to make his price for peace a large sum of money from his former enemies. Just as Henry made no real innovations in his financial policy, so there was a marked degree of continuity in his methods of administration. Indeed, the very personnel of his Council and departments of state were mainly "old hands" from past reigns. Previous monarchs had always striven to keep a balance in the Council between the nobility and the professional civil servants; it was only in periods of royal weakness that the magnates had played a predominant part in government. So the old theory that Henry VII was the first King to use "new men" in his government is not true, but it is true that he relied to a great extent on the abilities and intellect of such "new men" as Cardinal Morton and Bishop Fox of Winchester with much success. His was truly a government "of the talents," though the great nobles also played their part and could complain of no exclusion from their traditional role.

It was to Henry's advantage that the Wars of the Roses had reduced the numbers of his nobility, weeding out men who had earlier been so "overmighty" in their dealings with the Crown. But he took no chances. With his usual forethought, Henry restrained his nobles' old tendencies to collect private armies; in 1487 he enacted a law against "livery and maintenance" and in 1504 codified existing statutes against "retaining", to prevent the nobles from keeping independent forces. But his main achievement in this sphere was in his successful enforcement of these laws, accomplished largely through the vigilance of his increasingly valuable Justices of the Peace. These men were the mainstay of the Crown in the provinces, the visible proof of the strength of the central government. Nevertheless, England was not restored to order overnight. The Wars of the Roses had not ended with the death of Richard III, for there were still ambitious supporters of the House of York. In theory, the claimants could be discounted; Henry himself had married Elizabeth of York and married off most of her younger sisters to his own supporters.

Of their cousins, Edward, Earl of Warwick , a child, was safely in the Tower, and the de la Pole brothers had made their submission to Henry after Bosworth . Thus, the main threat to Henry's security came not from the scions of York themselves but from impostors. In 1487 Henry crushes a revolt by the Earl of Lincoln on behalf of Lambert Simnel , who claimed to be one of the missing princes from the Tower. Lambert Simnel , the ten year old boy, son of an Oxford tradesman, was coached by an ambitious priest to impersonate the Earl of Warwick , Clarence's son, and was crowned 'Edward VI' in Dublin Cathedral. After the defeat of the conspirators at Stoke on 16 Jun (when the Earl of Lincoln was killed) Henry decided that ridicule was the best weapon and made Simnel a turnspit in the royal kitchens, later promoting him to falconer. He died in his bed aged 50, a remarkable record for one found guilty of treason against the Tudors. Henry invades France at 1491, but at the Treaty of Etaples agrees to withdraw English forces in return for a large sum of money.

At 1492, a Flemish boy named Perkin Warbeck , claiming again to be one of the princes from the Tower, claims the throne and attempts to overthrow Henry. Perkin Warbeck , was a more serious and long term threat to Henry VII, since he was recognised as 'Richard Duke of York' by many of the sovereign rulers of Europe and his continuing existence dominated Henry's foreign policy until his execution in 1499.In 1497 Warbeck was captured. He might have been awarded the same mercy as Simnel (who now worked in the royal kitchens) had he not tried to escape from prison in the Tower. Henry could not afford now to let him live, and he was executed in 1499. Warwick, the innocent pawn, was beheaded at the same time, for, as long as he lived, there would certainly be pretentions on his behalf. Warbeck true identity remains a mystery, not resolved at the time, in spite of Henry's publication of his 'Confession' and still giving rise to speculation five centuries after his death. This was not the end of the "white rose" conspiracies, for several of the de la Pole brothers still lived in freedom.

Indeed, they, and Warwick 's sister, Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury , would live on to trouble Henry VIII many years later. But for Henry VII the testing-time of rival claimants was over. That both rebellions had originated in Ireland was significant. To Henry's mind, too much independence had been allowed to Ireland by the Yorkist overlords of the previous reigns. Wisely, he first showed the iron fist, forbidding the Irish to continue holding their own Parliament; then to avert rebellion against such over-harsh measures, he relaxed his rule, relying on the trustworthiness of his new deputy, the popular Earl of Kildare, a rebel-turned-loyalist, to keep the Irish in check. Nevertheless, like so many English sovereigns before and after him, Henry could never rely on loyalty beyond the Dublin "Pale" area and in a few ports which lived by English trade, and he was not ready to risk full-scale armed intervention to gain total Irish obedience. Henry conducted most of his international dealings with an eye to recognition of his crown as well as to the security of his realm.

He was delighted to be accepted as an ally by the Emperor Maximilian and the Spanish monarchs in 1489 in their war against France, though later it proved that only Henry had the enthusiasm to prosecute that war seriously. In the Treaty of Medina del Campo, Fernando and Isabel of Spain promised their daughter Catalina to Henry's son Arthur , and their wedding in 1501 was a tangible triumph for Henry. Scotland was another problem. The age-old traditional warfare between neighbouring kingdoms was a threat the Tudor monarch could not ignore, especially after Scotland's King James IV gave support to Perkin Warbeck . Though Henry assiduously avoided open war, and despite a formal truce in 1497, border raiding continued unchecked on both sides. A solution was found in 1499 when Henry opened negotiations to marry his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland as token of his hopes for a "perpetual peace." Though the agreement reached in 1502 provided a lull in the fighting for only a few years, the elevation of Henry's daughter to a throne was a valuable recognition of the permanence of his dynasty. Henry's political acumen was also evident in his handling of foreign affairs.

He played Spain off of France by arranging the marriage of his eldest son, Arthur , to Catalina de Aragon , daughter of Fernando and Isabel. Arthur died within months and Henry secured a papal dispensation for Catalina to marry Arthur 's brother, the future Henry VIII ; this single event had the widest-ranging effect of all Henry's actions: Henry VIII 's annulment from Catalina was the impetus for the separation of the Church of England from the body of Roman Catholicism. The marriage of Henry's daughter, Margaret , to James IV of Scotland would also have later repercussions, as the marriage connected the royal families of both England and Scotland, leading the Stuarts to the throne after the extinction of the Tudor dynasty. England could not but rejoice at its king's diplomatic acumen. Diplomacy and trade went hand in hand, and in Henry's reign England's prosperity was assured. He made an advantageous treaty with Denmark for fishing rights and an agreement with Florence for the sale of English wool there; he was also able, in 1496, to extract excellent terms from the Archduke Phillip for English trade with the Netherlands, a pact formulated in the <I>Intercursus Magnus<I>.

(Trading on his own account, the King made a profit of some 15,000 on deals in alum in 1505-1506.) Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales Henry VII - History Learning Site Henry VII Citation: C N Trueman "Henry VII" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 16 Mar 2015. 20 Oct 2016. Henry VII is also known as Henry Tudor. He was the first Tudor king after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485. This battle saw the end of the Wars of the Roses which had brought instability to England. Henry VII was king of England from 1485 to 1509. His second son, also called Henry, inherited the throne and became Henry VIII. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I tend to dominate Tudor history and their lives do overshadow the importance of Henry VII’s reign. The Wars of the Roses had been a constant battle between two of England’s most powerful families – the families of York and Lancaster.

Henry was a member of the Lancaster family and to bring the families closer together he married Elizabeth of York soon after being crowned king. However, the powerful York family remained a threat to him for years to come as they never recognised their defeat in the Wars of the Roses nor did they want a member of the Lancaster family as king of England. However, Henry was a very difficult opponent. He was a clever man who was determined not to lose his throne. He quickly identified the main problem he faced – the powerful barons of England. They were rich and they had their own private armies. During the Wars of the Roses, they had not been loyal to either side – renting out their private armies to the family that paid the most. Henry had to control them. Henry had a three-way plan to bring the barons under his control. First, he banned all private armies. Any baron who disobeyed this royal command would be committing treason which carried the death penalty. Secondly, he heavily taxed the barons to reduce their wealth. The money raised could be used by Henry to develop his own royal army. A powerful royal army was an obvious threat to the barons. The third way of controlling the barons was to use the Court of Star Chamber.

This was a court run by men who were loyal to Henry VII and they could be relied on to severely punish any baron who angered the king. With these three potential punishments against them, the barons, though a threat to Henry VII, were reasonably well tamed by him. Unlike many kings before him, Henry took a keen interest in financial matters as he knew that a wealthy king was a strong king and a poor king was a weak one. He also knew that money would expand his army and the larger his army was, the more powerful he was in the eyes of the barons. This alone, he believed would keep them loyal. Though he was very careful with money, he also enjoyed himself. He was keen on playing cards. On January 8th, 1492, he put aside the large sum of £5 for an evening of gambling. We know that he lost £40 playing cards on June 30th, 1492. He regularly tipped those who entertained him – especially musicians – the sum of 33p – not much by our standards, but a good sum of money for an entertainer in Tudor times. He was also very keen on playing Real Tennis.

To develop better relations abroad, and to avoid costly foreign wars, he had arranged for his eldest son – Arthur – to marry a Spanish princess called Catherine of Aragon. Aragon is in north-east Spain. Such political marriages were common among the children of royal families. Neither Arthur nor Catherine would have had the opportunity to say no to the marriage. The marriage lasted only five months as Arthur died. To maintain a friendship with Spain, Henry arranged for Catherine to marry his second son, Henry, the future king of England. Henry VII died before the marriage took place. When he died in 1509, the country was by past standards wealthy and the position of the king was good. The barons by 1509 had been all but tamed. Many barons believed that it was better to work with the king than against such a powerful man. Henry VIII inherited many advantages from his father’s reign as king.

The reign of the Tudor family – 1485 to 1603 – is famous for many occurrences and two monarchs stand out (Henry VIII and Elizabeth I ), but the 118 years of Tudor England has a great deal to thank Henry VII for as he got the Tudor family off to a stable and powerful start. Henry VII -- The First Tudor King » Edward V 1483 - A traditional perspective on the Web A traditional perspective on the Web Contact Us Cartoons by Larry Fantasy Playthings -- Elizabeth of York Doll Lord of the Flies 1483 Henry VII, the First Tudor King Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII upon the death of Richard III at Bosworth on August 22, 1485, was the luckiest King in English history. Here was someone whose father was dead before he was born to 14-year old Margaret Beaufort, whose royal blood came from the illegitimate scions of Edward III's son John of Gaunt and his mistress Katheryn Swinford who had been barred from the throne by Henry IV.

Henry's father Edmund Tudor had been Earl of Richmond, a title granted only because of his own father's marriage to Katherine of Valois, the French Queen of Henry V. As the half-brothers of Henry VI, Edmund and his brother Jasper were natural-born adherents of the House of Lancaster. However, upon the ascension of Edward IV of York, the wardship of young Henry was given to the Yorkist Herbert family in hopes that he would grow up to be a stalwart Yorkist loyalist. The brief triumph of Lancaster and Edward's flight into exile changed all that. Jasper took charge of his 14-year old nephew and, with the reclamation of Edward's throne in 1471, carried Henry away into exile in Brittany, having been forced away from France by a storm at sea. For the next 12 years, Henry was a political pawn, as Edward IV connived to have him returned to England, Duke Francis of Brittany used him as a bargaining chip, and his mother negotiated for the return of his earldom and his safe return to England. Reaching manhood under such precarious and penurious conditions probably made Henry shrewd, but it likewise made him paranoid and suspicious.

The death of Edward IV and what happened afterwards changed Henry's fortunes. Upon Edward's death, Duke Francis allowed Henry more freedom. Upon Edward V's deposition, Henry became someone worth petitioning, as Yorkist loyalists sought support for Edward's restoration. Margaret Beaufort's surreptitious moves in Edward's favor were undoubtedly motivated by her tireless devotion to her son and probably enhanced her value and that of Henry within Richard's opposition. When rumors of Edward's and young Richard of York's deaths began to circulate in September 11483, she was able to capitalize on her son's bachelorhood by advancing him as a marriage partner for Elizabeth of York, who was now her father's heir following her brothers' deaths. The fact that Henry was not well known, having been out of England since age 14, probably worked to his benefit, because he could then be painted in the most idealistic of terms. The Croyland Chronicler supports this when he writes that Henry was welcomed like an angel from heaven when he entered London following Richard III's defeat at Bosworth. This view of Henry, however, was far from accurate. One of the ways in which people display character is the manner in which they handle success.

Henry was given a great opportunity to truly unite the warring roses under his reign and under his marriage to Elizabeth of York, as the Tudor Rose and the poets of the time romantically depicted this union. However, he squandered his opportunity. He could not overcome the suspiciousness bred into him from his dangerous youth, nor could he overcome the realization that he was only, after all, the Yorkist loyalists' "second-best substitute for Edward IV's dead sons." (Christine Carpenter) And yet, Henry fell all too easily into the kingly mode. As the English rebels escaped Richard III through self-imposed exile and joined Henry in Brittany and, later, France, Henry's situation more and more resembled a royal court. He began to address his letters as "HR" -- Henricus Rex -- even before Bosworth, and used the royal "we" in reference to himself. In his letters, he even suggested that Richard was the traitor for denying him his rightful place! When he first landed in Wales after sailing from France, he knelt, kissed the ground, prayed for the success of his cause, and knighted several of his followers, as if he were already King.

His letters to would-be supporters, asking them for their assistance against Richard, were a combination of flattery and threats, as he warned them of incurring "our displeasure." Some might say that these were the actions of a clever man. I wouldn't doubt that he was clever enough himself to begin a campaign of self-glorification that would eventually lead to the replacement of the kingly address "Your Grace" with the exulted "Your Majesty." However, Henry VII might have been one of the most insecure personalities to ever sit on the English throne. Regardless of whatever attempts he might have made to celebrate himself in a role he was not born to play, it seems that he was always compensating for an inner realization that he was only where he was because of fate, not because of merit. His bias in the Wars of the Roses had always been for the House of Lancaster, but, had Lancaster been triumphant, he would have been nothing more than the Earl of Richmond. Likewise, had Edward IV's heir Edward V succeeded his father in peace, Henry could never have aspired to anything more than Earl of Richmond.

It was disappearance and presumed murder of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, that elevated their sister Elizabeth to the status of Edward IV's heir, thus giving Henry, a bachelor, an opportunity to aim at something more than an earldom. Copyright (c)2008 Edward V 1483 & JustHost.com BBC - iWonder - How the Tudor dynasty shaped modern Britain How the Tudor dynasty shaped modern Britain 1485 1603End of the Tudor dynasty Building the house of Tudor The Tudor era saw unprecedented upheaval in England. Between them the five Tudor kings and queens introduced huge changes that are still with us today. The years between the crowning of Henry VII in 1485 and the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 saw the old religious order swept away, the establishment of the American colonies, the foundation of the Royal Navy and the power of Europe challenged. 1485 Henry VII seizes the throne You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Thomas Penn reveals how the first Tudor monarch rose to power. Clip from Winter King (BBC Two, 2013).

Henry Tudor is crowned King of England on the battlefield at Bosworth after his army defeats and kills Richard III. Henry VII presents himself as the unifier of the warring Lancaster and York dynasties – symbolised by his adoption of the red and white Tudor Rose. His reign brings 85 years of civil war to an end. He marries Elizabeth, daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV. Within a year they have a son, Arthur, later followed by another, Henry. Henry VIII is crowned king You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. David Dimbleby explains the character of Henry VIII's reign. Clip from Seven Ages of Britain (BBC One, 2010). The 17-year-old Henry succeeds to the throne on the death of his father, Henry VII. His older brother Arthur had died seven years earlier. The Pope gives a special dispensation for the young king to marry his late brother’s wife Catherine of Aragon. Three years later Henry invades France in pursuit of an ancient claim to the throne. He is aided and abetted by his advisor Thomas Wolsey, who he appoints Lord Chancellor in 1514. The heavens laugh, the earth exults...

Our King does not desire gold or gems or precious metals, but virtue, glory and immortality. Courtier William Blount on Henry's accession, 1509 1512 The Royal Mail is founded Bridgeman Church of England is created Getty Title page of the Great Bible. Henry VIII authorised it to be the first English Bible for public use in 1539. Henry requests an annulment of his marriage with Catherine from the Pope in order to marry Anne Boleyn. The request is refused. In response, Henry breaks from the authority of the Pope and is declared head of the English Church by Parliament. To cancel out the power of the Catholic church in England, he dissolves over 800 monasteries and transfers their wealth and lands transferred to the crown. Years of discord between Protestants and Catholics follow. Mary Rose sinks but Royal Navy flourishes You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. David Dimbleby explains how Henry VIII founded the Royal Navy. Clip from Seven Ages of Britain (BBC One, 2010). Henry VIII is keen to build up his fledgling navy from the 15 ships he inherits.

By 1540 the navy has 45. He also builds the first naval dock at Portsmouth and establishes the Navy Board to run the service. Many of the ships, like Henry's flagship the Mary Rose, are fitted with the latest guns. Henry's ships can now now stand up against those of the French and Spanish navies. In 1545, the Mary Rose sinks while leading an attack against a French invasion fleet. The wind caught her sails so strongly as to heel her over, and plunge her open gun ports beneath the water, which flooded and sank her. Attributed to Francis van der Delft, Ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire 1547 England becomes Protestant under Edward VI You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Simon Schama describes how the reformation was brought in during Edward VI's reign. Clip from A History of Britain by Simon Schama (BBC Two, 2000). Henry dies and his son Edward, aged nine, becomes king. Edward's uncle Edward Seymour seizes power by establishing himself as protector. In order to make England a truly Protestant state, the Book of Common Prayer is introduced and religious imagery in churches is destroyed.

Seymour is arrested and later executed after he fails to solve England's near bankruptcy. The king dies aged fifteen, never ruling in his own right. The cause of his death is not certain. Elizabeth I’s long reign begins You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Simon Schama describes Elizabeth I's tolerant approach to religion. Clip from A History of Britain by Simon Schama (BBC Two, 2000). When Mary dies, her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn, becomes queen. Elizabeth returns England to Protestantism, but she does not enforce strict religious conformity and declares she does not want to 'make windows into men's souls'. Elizabeth chooses never to marry as she wants England free from the influence of foreign princes and the dissent and infighting a marriage to a fellow countryman might bring. ...this shall be for me sufficient, that a marble stone shall declare that a Queen, having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin. Queen Elizabeth I to Parliament, 1559 1571 Royal Exchange sees trade flourish Mary Evans The first Royal Exchange at Cornhill, City of London.

Sir Thomas Gresham, known as the father of English banking, sets up the Royal Exchange – the first purpose-built centre for trading stocks in London. However stock brokers are not allowed inside the building because of their rude manners, instead they operate from nearby coffee houses. Gresham helps persuade Elizabeth I's parliament to legalise money-lending, which allows the Crown to raise loans from home rather than abroad. Over time London takes over from Antwerp as the financial capital of Europe. Spymaster ensnares Mary, Queen of Scots You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Neil Oliver describes how Mary Queen of Scots was involved in plotting Elizabeth I's downfall. Clip from A History of Scotland (BBC Two, 2008). Queen Elizabeth I faces numerous plots against her and pays Sir Francis Walsingham to set up a European network of spies across Europe. He establishes England's first counter-intelligence network and a London school that teaches cipher breaking and forgery. Elizabeth's Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots is in exile in England and poses a threat to Elizabeth. Mary is put under house arrest. Walsingham is convinced she is plotting against the queen and implicates her in a plan to depose Elizabeth.

Mary is executed a year later. Myself with ten gentlemen and a hundred of our followers will undertake the delivery of your royal person from the hands of your enemies. Letter from plotter Anthony Babington to Mary Queen of Scots 1588 Defeat of Spanish Armada inspires England You need to have JavaScript enabled to view this clip. Dan Snow describes how the English sent fire ships to disrupt the Spanish Armada. Clip from Battlefield Britain (BBC Two, 2004). Philip II of Spain launches a great fleet of ships, known as the Spanish Armada, to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism to England. The Armada of 130 ships sails up the English channel towards the Spanish Netherlands to pick up troops for the invasion. However, they are engaged by the Royal Navy and driven to the North Sea by strong winds. Only around half of them make it back to Spain. The English celebrate their victory with a medal inscribed with the words 'God Blew and they were Scattered'. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.

Elizabeth I, addressing troops at Tilbury, July 1588 1601

Question: Who was the first Tudor King?
Answer: Henry VII